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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1888 | 27 |
| 1889 | 51 |
| 1891 | 28 |
| 1892 | 206 |
| 1893 | 224 |
| 1894 | 201 |
| 1895 | 161 |
898 stories
- The Groom Who Vanished: A Tacoma Bride’s Wedding Day Turned to Ashes
A Chicago furniture manufacturer arrived in Tacoma with a 'pretty bride' and a request for cash. By the next morning, he was gone, leaving behind a suspicious telegram from his employers and a trail of fraud that spanned the West Coast.
- The Judge, The Dog, and the Mystery of the Missing Pet
A Tacoma judge’s peaceful afternoon nap is interrupted by a miraculous reunion with his beloved terrier, who vanished months ago.
- The Teredo Worm’s Silent Siege
A massive wheat warehouse on the Tacoma waterfront collapses after wood-boring pests hollowed out the foundation, echoing the vulnerability of the region's rapidly expanding infrastructure.
- The Scholar Who Lost His Mind to Whisky
In a Tacoma courtroom, a judge delivers a scathing eulogy for the dignity of a man who was once 'a brother of General Manager Muir,' now reduced to disorderly conduct by alcohol.
- The Day Justice Went Mad: A Proprietor’s Threat and a Drunkard’s Triumph
In a Tacoma courtroom in January 1890, the owner of the Lomar House threatened to kill a man accused of drunkenness. The court watched, entertained, and ultimately acquitted the accused after witnesses proved he was sober.
- The Vanishing Gentleman: Tacoma’s Mystery of the Empty Trunk
A well-dressed stranger pays rent in advance, checks into a boarding house, and disappears without a trace—leaving behind only a heavy trunk marked 'Prof. F.L. Hedger.' Locals fear he hasn't just moved on; they suspect a gang of thugs is operating in the city.
- The Great Tacoma License Revolt: Mayor vs. The People Over Harry Morgan’s Saloon
In a dramatic showdown at City Hall, the Tacoma Common Council voted to revoke the liquor and theater license of Harry Morgan, sparking petitions from both sides and accusations of bribery involving the *Tacoma Daily Bulletin*. But did the city really win?
- Showdown at the Waterfront: Pistol Fire at Pacific Avenue
A simmering legal dispute over valuable waterfront property exploded into violence as a landholder took up arms to halt construction crews.
- The Wild Streets of 1891 Tacoma
Footpads, sandbaggers, and burglars turned a single winter night into a crime spree across the city’s downtown.
- The Gold Rush That Never Was
A Tacoma land speculator attempted to claim school property as a 'placer mine,' sparking a massive legal battle and accusations of salted soil.
- A Forced Marriage in the Courtroom
A judge in Pierce County lectured a man on 'conjugal obligations' and forced him to marry the woman he was accused of seducing after a scandal involving his community’s traditional marriage practices.
- The 'Two Percent' Mayoralty: How Tacoma's Populist Boss Won the Ticket
When Alexander Parker, a wealthy lender known for 'only' charging two percent interest, vied for the mayor's office, he didn't just run a campaign—he staged a spectacle of political maneuvering and local theater at Germania Hall.
- The Betting Frenzy at Pacific and Tenth
A high-stakes municipal election turns Tacoma’s city center into a chaotic, money-soaked spectacle where candidates bet on themselves and crowds swarm the streets in political delirium.
- The Tragic Cost of a Local Election Bet
A Tacoma restaurant owner took his own life after reportedly wagering his last ninety dollars on a mayoral candidate.
- The Gentleman Burglars of Tacoma
A jewelry shop on a prominent street was emptied by thieves who posed as harmless customers.
- The Hypnotic Lothario of Tacoma
A wealthy widow discovers that her 'handy' boarder was a con man who used alleged hypnotic powers to swindle her and charm local women.
- The Palace Revolt in Pierce County
A vitriolic account of a secret meeting held by Republican party bolters in Tacoma.
- The Rowdy Pierce County Democratic Convention
Boos, hisses, and shouts of 'Rats' define a chaotic convention as local Democrats revolt against a fusion plan with the People's Party.
- The 'Tillicum' Plot to Scalp John B. Allen
Tacoma political operators allegedly plot a complex, backroom scheme to unseat Senator John B. Allen in favor of a coalition candidate.
- The Tragedy of a Destitute Woman
After facing poverty and failing to find a way to support herself, a woman takes her own life in a Tacoma hotel room.
- Railroad Tragedy on the Puyallup Reservation
A laborer seeking his final paycheck meets a violent end in the dense fog near Tacoma.
- The Nose on Opera Alley
A romantic dispute in Tacoma ends in a grisly, bizarre act of violence and a futile scavenger hunt through the snow.
- The Wells-Fargo Frame-Up
A detective agency is caught attempting to bribe a driver to falsely implicate two men in a $2,000 express heist.
- A Night at the Chinese Theater in Tacoma
Despite warnings of anti-Chinese agitation, a traveling troupe’s performance at the Tacoma Theater draws a packed and appreciative crowd.
- The Mysterious Government Inspector
A Tacoma man claimed a high-level federal appointment in the Department of the Interior, shaking down friends for cash before federal officials exposed the scheme as a total fabrication.